ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Springfield Education Association which is chartered with the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association. All members of the Association shall also be members of the Illinois Education Association and the National Education Association.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. Any person represented by the Association in formal negotiations with the Board of Education is eligible for active membership in this Association with full rights and responsibilities. Active membership shall be continuous until the member leaves the school system.

Section 2. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP. When an Association member officially retires from the Springfield School District 186, after having been an SEA member for five consecutive years immediately preceding retirement, he/she shall be presented a permanent SEA membership card.He/she shall have all privileges of an active member except holding office, participating in elections, and paying of Dues.

Section 3. DEFINITION OF MINORITY. Ethnic minority shall mean those persons designated as ethnic minority by statistics published by the United States Bureau of the Census. This designation shall specifically include African Americans, Hispanic, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.

ARTICLE IV – DUES
The annual membership fee of this Association shall be fixed by a two-thirds vote of the Representative Assembly, subject to the final approval of the members voting at a general membership meeting or by written ballot.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
Section 1. All officers and standing committee chairpersons shall have been members of NEA-IEA-SEA for at least three complete semesters, or have been an NEA student member for two years. Officers and standing committee chairpersons must be in good financial standing with NEA-IEA-SEA.

Section 2. GENERAL DUTIES. All officers shall perform such duties as are regularly inherent in their offices. All Executive Committee members and officers are expected to attend all Executive Committee meetings and shall attend a minimum of four meetings of the Representative Assembly.

Section 3. EXPENDITURES. All non-budgeted expenditures of more than $50.00 shall require prior approval by the Executive Committee. All Executive Committee members and officers will submit receipts for all expenditures for which he/she expects reimbursement. Mileage reports will be submitted and reimbursed at the current District 186 rate of payment.

Section 4. POWERS AND DUTIES.
A. The president shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, Representative Assembly, and general membership.
2. Appoint or remove, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, chairpersons of standing or ad hoc committees and be an ex officio member of all committees.
3. Represent the Association before the public either personally or through delegates.
4. Call special meetings of the Executive Committee, Representative Assembly or general membership when necessary.
5. Appoint the spokesperson and other representatives to represent the Association in negotiations with the Board of Education, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
6. Provide guidance and assistance to his/her successor to ensure continuity of leadership.
7. Perform all other functions usually attributed to this office not in conflict with the Bylaws.

B. The vice president shall:
1. Assume the duties of the president in case of absence.
2. Assume such duties and responsibilities as delegated to him/her by the president.
3. Perform all other functions usually attributed to this office.

C. The second vice president shall:
1. Assume the duties of the vice president in case of absence.
2. Assume the duties of the president if the president and vice president are absent.
3. Assume such duties and responsibilities as delegated to him/her by the president.
4. Perform all other functions usually attributed to this office.

D. The secretary shall:
1. Keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, Representative Assembly, and general membership.
2. Keep attendance records for all meetings of the Executive Committee, Representative Assembly, and general membership.
3. Perform such functions usually attributed to this office.

E. The treasurer shall:
1. Execute a surety bond in an amount determined by the Executive Committee. The bond shall be paid by the Association.
2. Hold and disburse the funds of the Association under the supervision of the Executive Committee.
3. Prepare a budget with the recommendations of the Association officers and committees.
4. Keep accurate financial records. An audit will be conducted at least once every two years. An auditor will be selected by a committee appointed by the president and approved by the Executive Committee. The committee will present its choice of auditor to the Executive Committee for final approval.
5. Submit financial statements to the Representative Assembly and Executive Committee in a timely manner.
6. Make recommendations to the Executive Committee for short and/or long term
investment of Association funds.
7. Perform such functions usually attributed to this office.

F. The elementary representatives shall:
1. Communicate with and reflect the opinions of their respective constituents.
2. Attend all official meetings of the Representative Assembly.
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

G. The middle school representative shall:
1. Communicate with and reflect the opinions of his/her respective constituents.
2. Attend all official meetings of the Representative Assembly.
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

H. The high school representative shall:
1. Communicate with and reflect the opinions of his/her respective constituents.
2. Attend all official meetings of the Representative Assembly.
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

I. The ethnic minority representatives shall:
1. Communicate with and reflect the opinions of their respective constituents.
2. Attend all official meetings of the Representative Assembly.
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

J. The ESP representatives shall:
1. Communicate with and reflect the opinions of their respective constituents.
2. Attend all official meetings of the Representative Assembly.
3. Serve on the Executive Committee.

K. The immediate past president may serve as an advisor to the president and shall perform such administrative duties as assigned for the year immediately following his/her term of Office.

ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE [5 elected officers].
The officers of this Association shall be: president, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, secretary and treasurer, all elected by the general membership as prescribed in the bylaws.

Section 2. ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE [9 elected members].
The elected members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the following: two elementary representatives, one middle school representative, one high school representative, two ethnic minority representatives, and two ESP representatives, one of whom shall be a teaching assistant, all elected by their respective constituents. The Region 11 Chairperson (elected) shall also be included as a member of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 12 appointed members]. The appointed members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the following:
one grievance chairperson, one legislative chairperson, one negotiations chairperson, one professional development chairperson, one public relations chairperson, one special education, representative, two SPACE chairpersons, and two new member involvement chairpersons one parliamentarian, one membership chair.

Section 4. ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The president of the Association may add additional chairpersons to the Executive Committee on an annual basis and with the approval of the Executive Committee and ARs. Once approved, any appointed Executive Committee members shall be included as a voting member of the Executive Committee.

Section 5. VOTING RIGHTS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote. In the case of an absent committee chair, the vice chair may attend the Executive Committee meeting as the designated voting representative for said Committee.

Section 6. IEA-NEA ELECTED OFFICIALS. Any member of the Association who may also be an IEA-NEA elected official may be included as an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.

Section 7. CHARGE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The Executive Committee shall carry out the policies of the Association as formulated by the Representative Assembly and shall act in its behalf when the Representative Assembly is not in session.

Section 8. DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The Executive Committee shall:
A. Recommend to the Representative Assembly a budget for the following year, budget changes as they occur, and approve an auditor upon the recommendation of the selection committee.
B. Approve all appointments made by the president.
C. Determine qualifications and duties of committees and committee members.
D. Approve and/or remove chairpersons or committee members of the Association.
E. Implement all works as directed by the Representative Assembly, General Membership, the Constitution and Bylaws.
F. Hear appeals from a dissatisfied grievant at Level III or after Level IV. If a grievant is not satisfied with the decision of the Grievance Committee at Level III or after Level IV, he/she may appeal said decision to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may sustain or overrule the decision of the Grievance Committee.

Section 2. BUILDING MEMBERSHIP. The Representative Assembly shall be composed of at least one elected certified and one elected non-certified Association member from each building in Springfield School District 186. In buildings where more than 15 members are employed, additional representatives shall be elected on a basis of one representative for each additional 15 members or major fraction thereof. Traveling staff members are counted at the building where they are assigned on Thursday morning. The term of office shall be for one year. Members of the Representative Assembly shall be elected in March and take office in the fall.

Section 3. MINORITY REPRESENTATION. The Association Representative Assembly shall consist of a minimum of 10% ethnic minority representation, beginning in 1975-76, provided ethnic minority members are on the ballots in the buildings electing Association Representatives beginning with 1974-75. If 10% minority representation is not achieved through the normal election process, the president shall appoint, in consultation with the Ethic Minority Concerns Committee, additional ethnic minority members to serve as at-large members.

Section 4. BUILDING VACANCIES. Each building shall devise its own system for electing its representatives for filling a vacancy..

Section 5. MEETINGS. The Representative Assembly shall meet in a regular session in each month that school is in session. Special meetings may be called by the president. Meetings of the Representative Assembly shall be open to all members.

Section 6. POWERS AND DUTIES. Each member of the Representative Assembly shall:
A. Be responsible for enrolling membership from that section of the faculty to whom he/she is responsible.
B. Be responsible for keeping those of whom he/she represents informed of the business of the Association.
C. Be the agent of those he/she represents in bringing business before the Representative Assembly and the Executive Committee.
D. Hear appeals from any grievant not satisfied with the decision of the Executive Committee under Article VI of the Bylaws. The Representative Assembly may sustain or overrule the decision of the Executive Committee and its decision shall be final.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES
Section 1. STANDING COMMITTEES – ELECTED CHAIRPERSONS. The following standing committees shall be established and chaired or co-chaired by their respected elected representatives: ethnic minority concerns, high school concerns, middle school concerns, elementary concerns, ESP concerns.

Section 2. STANDING COMMITTEES – APPOINTED CHAIRRPERSONS. The president shall appoint the chairpersons for additional standing committees. Additional standing committees that may be established include: contract improvement (CIC), election, grievance, legislative, membership, negotiations, new member involvement, professional development, public relations, social, SPACE, special education concerns, membership and parliamentary.

Section 4. NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE. The Negotiations Committee shall be the official representative body of the Springfield Education Association in all matters of business pertaining to the Board of Education and/or administration through negotiations. This committee shall review and screen all proposals for the final draft in negotiations.

Section 5. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE. Each committee may elect its own vice chairperson and recorder from its membership. The vice chairperson serves as chairperson in the absence of such. In the case of the chairperson’s resignation, the president may appoint a new chairperson. The recorder is to keep all minutes of the committee’s meetings and actions and file them with the Association secretary.

Section 6. All standing and ad hoc committees shall report to the Executive Committee in writing, if so directed, and to the Association upon order of the Executive Committee or Representative Assembly. In no case shall a committee report to any person or to any agency against the will of the Executive Committee or the Association.

Section 7. All of the committees of the Springfield Education Association are open to any member who wishes to serve within the committee structure; however, the president, in consultation with the ethnic minority caucus, shall actively recruit ethnic minority members to serve on standing and ad hoc committees.

ARTICLE IX – ELECTIONS
Section 1. An election of officers shall be held annually in March, as follows:
A. A president, 1st vice president, and secretary shall be elected in even numbered years to serve two years.
B. A 2nd vice president and treasurer shall be elected in odd numbered years to serve two years.
C. Two elementary, one middle school, one high school, two ethnic minority representatives, and two ESP representatives shall be elected annually by their respective constituents.

Section 2. An election of the members of the Representative Assembly shall be held annually in March in each building; an incumbent Association Representative or his/her designee is representative until an election is held.

Section 3. An election committee shall consist of the following members of the Representative Assembly and be approved by the executive committee so that each organization level is represented: ethnic minority representatives, elementary representatives, ESP representatives, middle school representative, and high school representative. The election committee shall ensure that the election rules and procedures are properly established and implemented.

Section 4. A member of the Association seeking an elected office must file for said office by presentation of his/her name to the secretary of the Association at least one month prior to the election. At this time, he/she will be issued an official petition requiring the signatures of not less than 5% of the members represented. Said petition must be resubmitted to the election committee for validation of signatures at least 10 school days prior to election. In the event that there is not at least one candidate for each office on the ballot, the election committee shall nominate a candidate from the general membership who has indicated a willingness to run. In such case, no nominating petition shall be required. Members running for multiple offices will file a petition for each office.

Section 5. Election shall be by written ballot. The election committee shall have prepared ballots at least three school days before the election date. A polling place with a sealed ballot box shall be set up in each building for one school day and shall be supervised by the Association Representative or his/her designee at all times or be locked in a secure location. Voted ballots must immediately be placed in the ballot box by the member. Voting will occur on election day. Voting times and location will be posted three school days prior to the election. Voting times shall be set so that all members in the school have a reasonable and fair opportunity to vote. Prior to the election, a list of members in each building should be provided to each head Association Representative. Voting members will sign membership roster. The Association Representative shall be responsible for delivering the all completed and unused ballots, voter list and tally sheet, in the appropriate sealed envelope, to the SEA office at the end of the election day. Failure by the Association Representative to follow these guidelines may result in the ballots of that building being invalidated.

Section 6. The annual election of officers shall be held in March. New terms of office shall begin 10 calendar days after the official ending of the school year.

Section 7. In no case shall a member supervise an election in which he/she is a candidate.

Section 8. A notification of a formal challenge of the results of an election will be submitted in writing to the election committee within 10 business days of the conclusion of the election. All formal challenges will be submitted by the candidate to the Illinois Education Association. If the IEA recommends second elections, the election committee will meet within 5 business days to set second election date and timeline for completion.

ARTICLE X – RECALL
Section 1. ELECTED OFFICERS. An elected officer may be removed from office by a recall election. The recall election may be initiated by either a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a recall petition signed by at least 30% of the members. Within 30 days of receipt of the petition by the president, a recall election shall be conducted. An affirmative majority vote of the general membership shall constitute a recall effective immediately. In the case of recall of the president, the petition shall be presented to the vice president and a two-thirds affirmative vote of the general membership shall constitute a recall of the president Immediately.

Section 2. REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. Members who are elected to the
Representative Assembly may be subject to a recall election upon the receipt by the president of the Association a petition signed by at least 30% of the active members from the building who elected the member representative to the Representative Assembly. The president or his/her designee shall conduct a recall election within that building and a majority vote of those voting shall determine whether the Representative Assembly member is recalled. If the Representative Assembly member is recalled, the members in the building involved shall meet within 15 days and elect their representative to the Representative Assembly.

ARTICLE XI – VACANCIES
Section 1. ELECTIONS.
A. In case of a vacancy of any elected office or representative, an election shall be held within 30 days to fill the unexpired term. In the case of a presidential vacancy, the vice president shall assume the duties of the president until an election is held. In the case of other vacancies, the Executive Committee shall elect a qualified member to fill said vacancy until an election is held.
B. In case of a vacancy in both offices of president and vice president, an election shall be held within 30 days to fill the unexpired terms. During the 30 day period, the Executive Committee will elect qualified members to fill the vacancies for such period.

Section 2. TEMPORARY VACANCY OF THE PRESIDENT. In the temporary absence of the
president, the vice president shall assume the president’s duties. If both the president and vice president are absent, the second vice president shall assume the president’s duties. If the president, vice president, and second vice president are absent, the Executive Committee shall elect an acting president.

Section 3. TEMPORARY VACANCY OF OTHER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS
OR REPRESENTATIVES. In the case of a temporary vacancy in the position of Executive Committee officer or representative, the president shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, a qualified member to fill said vacancy with full voting rights, until the appointment terminates.

Section 4. TEMPORARY ABSENCE OF ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE. In the temporary absence of an Association Representative, said representative may designate another member from his/her building to attend the Representative Assembly. Said designee shall assume all duties of the absent representative.

ARTICLE XII – MEETINGS
Section 1. Meetings of the general membership may be called by the president or two-thirds of the Executive Committee. A meeting may also be called upon signed petitions,(petition being defined as any signed form) by at least 10% of the membership. The president shall schedule a meeting within 30 days of receipt of petitions, stating the specific purpose of the meeting.

Section 2. An organizational meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held within 60 days after taking office. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once during each month of the school year. It may meet at other times upon call by the president or by request of two-thirds of its members.

Section 3. The Representative Assembly shall hold a regular meeting at least once every month from September through May.

Section 4. Standing committees shall meet as necessary to carry out their responsibilities.

Section 5. A quorum for any regular or special membership meeting shall consist of 20% of the membership.

Section 6. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Section 7. A majority of the Representatives shall constitute a quorum.

Section 9. Contract Ratification Meetings must consist of a quorum. Following Roberts Rules of Order Ratification Meetings shall have a question answer session. Ratification shall be by written ballot after the question and answer session. Ballots will be counted by the elections committee and results announced prior to the close of the Ratification meeting.

Section 1 Revision of these Bylaws shall be submitted by the Executive Committee (or Representative Assembly) to the full membership at a regular meeting, special meeting, or by mail ballot and a majority vote of those voting shall rule, provided that all members of the Association have received written notice of the date and place of the meeting or of the date of the vote and the proposed revision at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

Section 2. A general review of the Bylaws may be ordered by a majority vote at a General Membership meeting, at a Representative Assembly meeting, or at an Executive Committee Meeting. If the revisions are proposed, they shall take the course as prescribed in Article XIII Section 1.